VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[yarg28]

I've had a family member offer to give me $1000 that is to be earmarked for vo gear only. They gave another family member some money and feel obligated to "balance" the force despite my repeatedly saying that it wasn't necessary.

I currently have an AKG C214 that I am very happy with as my main microphone. I also have a presonus interface that is fine and dandy.

If you were sitting on that gear and had $1000 to invest in another mic or preamp, what would you get?

I strongly considered a 416 just to have it for those times that it may be more appropriate. That at least offers a measure of coverage that may add something to the services that I could provide.

$1000 isn't quite enough for a TLM103 and to be honest, I'm not convinced that it would serve me 3-4 times better than my C214.

Thoughts or recommendations? I know, tough problem to have.

Thanks

Gary

[Bish]

This is a great problem to have! If it were me (and I didn't already have one) I'd go for the 416 as well. It's not a replacement or an upgrade for equipment you are already happy with, but rather something that may find it's own unique place in your chain. I bought mine "on a whim" and am extremely pleased with how it works with my voice. It takes a short while to nail the technique and/or positioning, but I found it worthwhile... and to be honest, I now use it the majority of the time.
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.

[sdaeley17]

That's awesome! If you don't mind going used, you could easily find a TLM 102 or even a 103 in the 500-600 range. 416 is another great option, as Bish said. Keep your eye out as there may still be discounts to be had, like the one Joe Cip did through BSW , or Cam Cornelius through Broadcast General Store. You could even try out the RA-VO mic that came out a few months ago, courtesy of Jordan Reynolds and Recording Hacks.

As far as preamps/interfaces, the audient id14 or id22, the RME Babyface Pro, Focusrite Clarett 2Pre or 4Pre, Apollo twin solo or duo, and the SPL crimson and the new slimmed down Creon are all within budget and could offer an upgrade in sound quality and connectivity options.

If you're absolutely satisfied with your sound, you could invest in something like Source Connect or IPDTL to expand your patching capabilities, or a subscription to VoiceZam to showcase all of your demos. Hopefully this gave you some ideas you might not have thought of.
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"There's Magic all around us; you just have to see it. And the most wonderful Magic of all, is just bein' alive." -Uncle Montork, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

[bobsouer]

Gary,

I realize this may not be the suggestion you want to hear, but the first thing I would ask myself in your situation is whether my recording space is as well treated as it could be? And if not, I would invest that $1K in bass traps and other items to further tame the sound of my room.

Now, if you are completely happy with how your room sounds, then a new microphone, pre-amp or possibly workstation upgrade would make a whole lot of sense.
_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

[sdaeley17]

Brilliant advice, Bob! And there are a lot of affordable options from the likes of Audimute, Gik, and ATS acoustics!
_________________
"There's Magic all around us; you just have to see it. And the most wonderful Magic of all, is just bein' alive." -Uncle Montork, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

[kgenus]

Throw it in the bank and wait.
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Genus

[yarg28]

Thanks for the great comments so far.

I actually just completed a new booth and crammed it with DiY panels or I'd definitely head down that path, Bob. It got the George Whittam green light.

Leaning to the 416 but still interested in other thoughts for sure.

Good thoughts on the connection stuff too.

Thanks guys.

[yarg28]

I'd love to throw it in bank but this person is going to be really excited to see what I end up with. They are super excited about vo and want to feel like a part of it. Hardware is easy for them to relate to. They can touch it.

They are on the low tech side so things like plugins would be too mystic.

I want them to feel like they got their money's worth.

[Lance Blair]

Let's break down your two pieces of gear and see where you can go from there:

AKG C214
I like this mic. The high end is super smooth and it has lots of low end, but it's trending towards the dark or muddy for VO, especially for commercial/promo work. It's "scooped" or doesn't have much mid to high-mid presence. I would recommend it for long-form narration, definitely. The polar pattern is pretty wide too, which can cause issues in some recording environments.

As an alternate to this, I'd go with the MKH 416 and spend the grand, full stop. It's a VO tool that everyone can use. Even if it's not your 'go-to' mic there will be times when you might want (or need) to use it. Or, let's look at the interface:

Presonus Interface
Well, which one? Presonus makes some nice interfaces and some cheap ones. They've made some awesome preamps and some forgettable preamps. I'm going to assume that, as you wrote, you have a 'fine' piece of Presonus kit, but nothing that is a strong link in your chain.

If you feel comfortable and confident with the c214 (and why not?) then plug it into an SPL Creon ($599) and buy a few nice acoustic panels/bass traps or equipment like Mogami gold cables or high-quality mic stand with the remainder.
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Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

[yarg28]

Thanks lance.

That's a great description of the 214 and kind of makes me want to try another ldc just for comparison.

I have a presonus audiobox 44vsl. Nothing crazy but it does a fair job. Never heard of the creon. I'll check it out.

Thanks

[Lance Blair]

You're welcome.

In that case, for the difference that everyone will notice, get the MKH 416. But make sure it's from a trusted retailer as there are many fraudulent models out there!
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Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

[sdaeley17]

There's not a whole lotta user reviews out on the creon, but if it's as good as it's big brother the crimson, it certainly wouldn't hurt your sound!

http://www.sweetwater.com/insync/spl-creon-monitor-controlleraudio-interface-overview-by-sweetwater/
_________________
"There's Magic all around us; you just have to see it. And the most wonderful Magic of all, is just bein' alive." -Uncle Montork, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

[Yonie]

Do you have traveling gear?

[paulstefano]

Marketing.

If you like all of your equipment, then why mess with it? And yes, I realize how ridiculous that sounds to all of us who are constantly tinkering, myself included. I'm slowly coming back to the reality that all things being equal, microphones and pre-amps are a final piece of the puzzle. Also remember with new equipment remember the opportunity cost. Aside from the cost of the equipment, you have to factor in fine tuning it to your space before you can send it out for work. That may involve just time on your part, adjusting your gates, compressors, and the like. Or it may involve more cash if you typically outsource to an engineer to nail down your processing.

So, do an old fashioned, post card or insert mailing. Buying a list and paying somebody to stuff the envelopes and add the postage could get you close to $!000.
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[yarg28]